Snowboard and Skis for Use in Loose Snow

ABSTRACT

A snowboard comprising a board on which two bindings are mounted on the board&#39;s surface at a distance apart approximately corresponding to around ⅓ of the board&#39;s length, where the board is designed with inwardly curved edge portions, the board having greater width at both ends at the transition to the tips (A-A) than at the middle (B-B), with upwardly curved tips ( 3,4 ), possibly with a slightly more moderate tip at one end, or skis comprising a ski on which a binding is mounted slightly behind the middle of the ski, where the ski is designed with inwardly curved edge portions, the ski having a greater width at both ends at the transition to the tips (A-A and C-C) than in the middle (B-B), with upwardly curved tips ( 3,4 ), and normally a slightly more moderate tip at the rear, 
     characterised by the combination of features which are known separately, but which together form the basis for a new design with improved dynamics in special applications, which features comprise:
         The base is divided into a right running surface ( 2 ) and a left running surface ( 1 ).   The running surfaces form an angle with each other which everywhere is less than 90 degrees.       

     The angle which the running surfaces form with each other is smaller in the middle than at the transition to the tips, with the result that the right ( 2 ) and the left ( 1 ) running surfaces substantially form a more acute angle with each other in the transition from the narrowest cross section at the middle towards each of the tips

The invention relates to either 1) a snowboard consisting of a board onwhich are mounted two bindings on the surface of the board, at adistance apart approximately corresponding to ⅓ of the board's length,where the board is designed with inwardly curved edge portions, theboard having a greater width at both ends at the transition to the tips,and where the board has upwardly curved tips, possibly with a slightlymore moderate tip at one end, or

2) it involves a pair of skis on which a binding is mounted slightlybehind the middle of each ski, and where the skis are designed withinwardly curved edge portions, the skis having a greater width at bothends at the transition to the tips and where the skis have upwardlycurved front tips and normally a smaller rear tip, although the size ofthe rear tip is not a significant factor in the invention.

Both board and ski will hereinafter be called board, even though bothare alluded to.

Most skis and snowboards today are normally designed with a flat basebetween the tips at the two ends. For steering, the board is edged andthe weight is distributed between the feet in the two bindings.

From Norwegian patent application no. 981056 a snowboard is known with abase completely or partly divided into three running surfaces. Theobject of this patent, however, is to provide optimum dynamics whenriding the boards on snow on ordinary slopes. A flat middle portion hastherefore been indicated between the sloping secondary bases.

Similarly, from Norwegian patent application no. 301964 a ski is knownwith a base completely or partly divided into three running surfaces.The object of this patent, however, is to provide optimum dynamics whenskiing on snow on ordinary slopes. A flat middle portion has thereforebeen indicated between the sloping secondary bases.

It is assumed that boards and skis with a keel are also known, i.e.running surfaces which form an angle with one another, but whatdistinguishes the invention from these variants is that in this caseboth the right and left running surfaces are twisted in a very specialway.

The present invention is based on the described patents, but asubstantial potential for improvement has been tested and found for usein powder snow and at transitions from right to left turn and viceversa.

This is achieved according to the invention by completely removing theflat central base surface, with the result that the board consistssolely of a right and a left running surface, where these always form acertain angle with each other along the entire length of the board, andthe two running surfaces meet approximately along the middle of theboard viewed in the longitudinal direction, and from the middle towardseach of the tips the running surfaces form a substantially increasingangle with each other.

The advantage of this solution in powder snow is that by having acertain amount of upward curve the whole way the object is achieved thatduring edging the board does not cut into the snow so easily, since inloose snow there is too little resistance from the snow, and betterdynamics are achieved by the board being flatter relative to the snow,since the board thereby floats more easily over the snow instead ofdigging into it. With a board of this kind, for example, a board that isadjusted at an angle of 20 degrees at the foot will be able to be at anangle of 16 degrees to the snow in the running surface closest to thesnow.

The advantage in transitions from right turn to left turn and vice versais that since the board/ski cannot lie in a neutral central position(ref. the flat middle portion in the said patent), the steel edges atthe front and rear will be at a height above the ground on the runningsurface which is not active, immediately before the skier changesturning direction, thereby substantially reducing the risk of catchingthe opposite edge, also relative to the board and ski according to thetwo aforementioned publications.

When testing the known ski and snowboard models, it was found that theygave a limited improvement in powder snow, and the surprising discoverywas made that the best result was obtained by maximising the right (2)and left (1) running surface respectively.

In powder snow it is at the front and rear, i.e. in the board's widestportions, that the board has the greatest tendency to dig down into thesnow. Thus it is important for the board's running surfaces to form asubstantially progressively increasing angle to each other from themiddle of the board, viewed in the longitudinal direction, with theresult that the running surface that digs into the snow always forms asmaller angle with the snow in the board's widest portion compared within the middle, and that the running surface in the middle forms asmaller angle than the angle the whole board forms with the snow.

On this basis, therefore, it is the object of the invention to providean improved snowboard/ski specially adapted to achieve better dynamicson powder snow, as well as more reliable transitions when skiing onharder surfaces. This is achieved by a snowboard/ski which ischaracterised by the features which will appear in the patent claims.

The invention solves this special problem for snowboards by means of thespecial design of the two running surfaces which form a fairly smallangle with each other in the middle of the board, but where this anglesubstantially increases in the forward direction towards the board'swidest portions.

When riding in loose snow, a large part of the board will abut againstthe snow. Thus it is important for this portion to be as large aspossible, and if twisted running surfaces are to be employed, thelargest possible running surface against the snow is obtained when therunning surface lies flatter than the angle of the board as a whole, bydividing the whole running surface in two, so that approximately halfcan constitute the running surface nearest the snow, which can then givean extra lift as the running surface does not dig down into the snow somuch.

As far as the tips are concerned there is a certain amount of freedom todecide whether to let the base surfaces in the tips maintain the angleof the running surface all the way to the front or to let them flattenout, although this is of little importance, since it is the runningsurfaces that determine most of the board's dynamic characteristics.

It is an advantage if the surface of board is flat at the bindingattachments across a width which at least corresponds to the undersideof a regular binding, thereby preventing the board from being deformedwhen the binding is attached to the board. The same applies to skis.

It makes little difference to the concept whether the board/ski issymmetrical or not, either in relation to the longitudinal axis or thetransversal axis. Thus there are 3 fundamental elements in theinvention:

-   -   1. The base is divided into a right running surface and a left        running surface.    -   2. The running surfaces form an angle with each other which        everywhere is less than 90 degrees.    -   3. The angle which the running surfaces form with each other is        smaller in the middle than at the transition to the tips, with        the result that the right and left running surfaces        substantially form a progressively more acute angle with each        other in the transition from the narrowest cross section at the        middle towards each of the tips.

The invention will now be illustrated in greater detail by means of theembodiments illustrated in the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates the underside of a snowboard. The base is dividedinto a right running surface 1 and a left running surface 2, and thesetwo running surfaces form a certain angle in the dot-and-dash line. Theangles depicted in the cross sections are somewhat exaggerated in orderto demonstrate the increasing angle from the middle towards the tips. Onthe right a side view of the board is also shown. An indication is alsogiven that the angle increases fairly steadily from the middle of theboard. This is an arbitrarily chosen embodiment (easy to draw). The sameapplies to the top of the ski which is at the same height above theground when the “keel” is pressed against the snow, this being theeasiest way to draw it and not an exact preferred embodiment.

FIG. 2 illustrates the shape of a ski, viewed from above in theleft-hand figure. The base is divided into a right running surface 2 anda left running surface 1, and these two running surfaces form a certainangle in the dot-and-dash line. The angles depicted in the three crosssections are somewhat exaggerated in order to demonstrate the increasingangle from the middle towards the tips. The ski is then also illustratedviewed from the side. In this variant an ordinary short rear tip ischosen, even though longer rear tips have increased in popularity. Anindication is also given that the angle is fairly constant over aportion in the middle, before increasing steadily. This is anarbitrarily chosen embodiment. The same applies to the top of the skiwhich is at the same height above the ground when the “keel” is pressedagainst the surface, this being the easiest way to draw it and not anexact preferred embodiment.

1. A snowboard or ski for use in loose snow, the snowboard comprising aboard on which two bindings are mounted on the board's surface at adistance apart approximately corresponding to around 1/3 of the board'slength, where the board is designed with inwardly curved edge portionsthe skis comprising a ski on which a binding is mounted slightly behindthe middle of the ski, and the ski is designed with inwardly curved edgeportions, the board/ski having greater width at both ends at thetransition to the tips (A-A and C-C) than at the middle (B-B), withupwardly curved tips (3,4), possibly with a slightly more moderate tipat one end, wherein: the base is divided into a right running surface(2) and a left running surface (1) which together forms a downwardlydirected apex in the entire length of the board/ski along the partitionline between the two surfaces seen in a cross direction of theboard/ski, whereby each of the running surfaces form an angle with theground, where the sum total of these two angles is less than 90 degreeseverywhere along the length of the board/ski, and that. the angle whichthe running surfaces form with each other is smaller in the middle thanat the transition to the tips.
 2. A snowboard/ski according to claim 1,wherein the right (2) and the left (1) running surfaces substantiallyform a more acute angle with each other in the transition from thenarrowest cross section at the middle towards each of the tips.
 3. Asnowboard/ski according to claim 1, wherein the right and left runningsurfaces are of approximately equal width.
 4. A snowboard/ski accordingto claim 1, wherein the angle which the two running surfaces form witheach other does not increase continuously from the said smallest crosssection, but that it may vary somewhat both ways particularly in themiddle, the principal rule being that the angle increases towards thetips, and that the angle between the running surfaces ends up by beingmore acute at the front and the rear than at the narrowest point.
 5. Asnowboard according to claim 1, wherein when the board is pressedagainst a flat surface on the right running surface, the left steel edgewill overall be at least 1 mm above the surface, preferably at least 2mm.
 6. A snowboard according to claim 1, wherein when the board ispressed against a flat surface on the right running surface, the leftsteel edge at the transition to the widest tip will be at least 3 mmabove the surface, preferably at least 6 mm.
 7. A ski according to claim1, wherein when the ski is pressed against a flat surface on the rightrunning surface, the left steel edge overall will be at least 0.5 mmabove the surface, preferably at least 1 mm.
 8. A ski according to claim1, wherein when the board is pressed against a flat surface on the rightrunning surface, the left steel edge at the transition to the widest tipwill be at least 1 mm above the surface, preferably at least 3 mm.